


What Makes a Loss

by robofruit



Series: ThorBruce Oneshots [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Oneshot, Thor (Marvel) Needs a Hug, ThunderScience - Freeform, gammahammer - Freeform, infinity war didnt happen, thorbruce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 09:12:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14829473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robofruit/pseuds/robofruit
Summary: What if after Ragnarok, Bruce never came back from the Hulk? What if Thor had realized his feelings before then?





	What Makes a Loss

They put him in a cage. 

 

Thor had protested it all he could, but it was no use. 

 

“If Banner’s not coming back any time soon, we can’t have Hulk running loose around the tower,” Steve had decided. All of the Avengers had been helping the Asgardians get situated, getting them rooms in 3 hotels that Tony had bought out just for them. Thor’s expression must have fallen, because Steve gave him a pitiful look. “I know you said he’s changed, but it’s still a threat. I hate it too, but we need to figure this out.” 

 

Thor had agreed, of course; there wasn’t a lot he could do to protest. He was just Hulk’s friend,  _ Banner’s  _ friend, he wasn’t his keeper. But it still hurt, seeing Hulk behind a pane of glass, looking like a zoo animal as he paced around. They’d given him things to do in there, of course; it was big enough where Thor could spar with him whenever he wanted. They also had punching bags and a bed, and Hulk seemed to be enjoying himself, as happy as he was on Sakaar.

 

But Thor couldn’t help but feel at fault. 

 

He couldn’t remember exactly when he’d started to try to talk to Bruce. He didn’t know  _ why  _ he started; he knew Bruce couldn’t hear him, that all he’d get was an annoyed look from Hulk, (if he was even paying attention to the puny god), and concerned talks from passers by. It became a regular thing; he’d sit outside Hulk’s room, watching him through the glass and sitting against the wall, trying to reach Bruce. 

 

It had been about 2 months when Thor began to feel hopeless. 

 

“Hey, Hulk. Banner.” He nodded at the cage when he walked in, slumping down against the wall. Hulk looked back at him from his punching bag, eyes flaring with anger and excitement as he smacked it around his cage. He looked rowdy, but Thor wasn’t in the mood to spar. 

 

Hulk just grunted, kicking the punching bag into the wall by Thor. 

 

“Banner gone. Only Hulk.” 

 

Thor couldn’t remember when that phrase had started, either. He remembered the first time Hulk said it, and how painful it felt; he couldn’t help blaming himself. He’d put Bruce in that situation, where he had to give himself up in order to save the Asgardians. Thor had come to terms with it, at first; he’d been proud when he saw Hulk on the rainbow bridge. Now all he felt was regret. He never thought he could miss Bruce this much- that little time he spent with him on Sakaar reminded him of feelings that he’d brushed off for years, and then just like that, Bruce was gone again. 

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Thor answered solemnly, raking his fingers through his hair. It was growing out a little again, shaggy and matted. Tony said it made him look even more like a surfer- Bruce would’ve probably still thought it looked good. “Hulk, you know you can’t do this forever. You and Banner can-” 

 

_ “Banner gone!”  _ this time, the shout was accompanied by Hulk slamming his fist into the glass, glaring at Thor. He was trying to provoke him, Thor knew that, but somehow it was working. Thor just glared back, standing up and starting to walk toward the door. “Thor sad, like baby.” 

 

Thor wasn’t sure why that made him pause. His hands gripped into fists at his sides and he spun on his heel, stomping over to the glass and pointing a finger at Hulk, glaring.  _ “You’re  _ the one acting like a child. You and Banner share a body! You need to learn to  _ actually share it!”  _

 

Hulk just slammed both of his hands into the glass, his face as close to Thor’s as it could get with the cage between them. “Banner doesn’t share!” he argued. Thor felt his blood boil, his head pounding in anger as he slammed his fist back into the glass. 

 

“Maybe he would if you didn’t wreck everything whenever he yielded to you!” Thor’s eyebrows were furrowed so much that his forehead started to ache, but Hulk didn’t let up. He grabbed the punching bag, slamming it into the glass where Thor was, sending a loud echo through the room. Thor stumbled back, feeling the slightest bit of electricity zap at his fists as he panted, staring at the Hulk. “You took over for two years! Isn’t that enough for you!?” 

 

_ “Hulk always Hulk!”  _ he screamed, slamming his fists into the glass again. The smallest crack appeared under his hands, and just like that, an alarm started to go off, accompanied by flashing red lights that circulated around the room. Hulk just yelled more, punching his bed instead as agents started to run inside, hands grabbing Thor’s shoulders and pulling him back, as if he needed protection. They began fixing the glass, Thor glaring over the agents shoulders as he was dragged out of the room. 

 

“You need to bring him back!” Thor yelled, clenching his fists and glaring at Hulk. 

 

Hulk seemed almost calmer now, glaring at the god in a silent rage. He didn’t seem to mind that they were mending the damage he made in the glass; he just glared at Thor, fists clenched at his sides. “Banner gone.” was the last thing Thor heard before he was pushed out of the room. 

 

When all the agents left, Thor fell apart. He let himself lean on the wall next to the door to Hulk’s room, hugging himself as a lump formed in his throat. What if Bruce was right? What if nothing could bring him back? He remembered trying to avoid Hulk’s eyes. Before all this, when he looked in them, he could see a bit of Bruce in there, too. Now he was afraid to look. 

 

If he was really gone, and if his last act was protecting the Asgardians, Thor didn’t know if he could ever forgive himself. He didn’t think he could ever stop pretending that Bruce would come back one day, that Thor would be able to throw his arms around him and tell him how much he really meant to him. He didn’t think he could ever stop pretending that when Thor sat outside Hulk’s cage, talking to nothing, that Bruce could hear him. 

 

He hunched over as the sobs raked out of him, covering his eyes and choking back the sound that came with tears. He felt lost. Before Bruce was gone, he’d been a solace to all his stress, somewhere he could go when being a prince or a king was too much for him. Now he had nowhere to go. 

 

The thought of Bruce had become a heart wrenching ache even after all these months without him, and his days of being free with his feelings had turned to bottling things up, never admitting to himself how he really felt about Bruce, how he never got to tell him. Because that would make everything more real. That would make it a loss. 

 

_ “Thor sad!”  _ Hulk’s voice was distant through the door, but it still made Thor freeze. Was this Hulk’s way of apologizing? Or was he taunting him even more? He didn’t know if he wanted the answer to that. For a moment, he ignored it, letting himself cry and mourn until there came a crashing sound from inside.  _ “Thor sad!”  _ Hulk repeated, and Thor found himself pushing through the door. 

 

The agents were gone, but Hulk was ramming himself into the wall toward Thor, almost looking distressed as he did. Greif washed over him at the sight; had Hulk been trying to comfort him this whole time? He supposed being a rage monster gave you different approaches to that kind of thing, but Thor didn’t have time to think about it. He ran to the cage, opening the door he usually used to get in and spar with Hulk, but this time he was just lifted into his arms. 

 

Hulk was surprisingly gentle with him. Thor was ashamed for crying, at first, but eventually it all came out, and Hulk just hugged him. The ache in his heart felt better, being in such a strong embrace, and Thor let himself get it all out. The sorrow, the thoughts of regret, and god, the  _ loneliness.  _ The fact that he  _ loved _ him, so much, so much it hurt. He loved him but he never got to tell him. The fact that Bruce was gone now, and Thor would have to deal with it whether he liked it or not. 

 

The two of them were quiet for a few moments, before Hulk gently pat his back. “Thor home.” 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> love me some pain 
> 
> hmu on tumblr @fruit-butt and twitter @roboticpeach


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